Switch



1923 s Sheets-Sheet 1 C. CHRISTENSEN El AL SWITCH Original Filed Jan. 27,

XXXKXVNX Nov. 14, 1933.

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SWITCH Original Filed Jan. 27, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 w. M L

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SWITCH Original Filed Jan. 27, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 [7? y en tam: f/zn'azen l/zmlflem an A M/1'12 JZe/hmc yen Patented Nov. 14, 1933 PATENT OFFICE swrron Christen'Ohristensen, 'Maywood, Ill., and Alwin G. Steinmayer, Milwaukee, Wis., assignors to Electrical Engineers Equipment Company,

Melrose Park, 111., a corporation of Illinois Original application January 27, 1923, Serial No. 615,214. Divided and this application Novemleer 5, 1928; Serial No. 317,350

6 Claims; (01. 200-48)" This application is a division of our pending application Serial No. 615,214, filed January 2'7,

This invention relates to i'electrical power transmission, and more specifically, to an improved switch for use in such transmissiom and control, means therefor. One object of the invention is to provide-an improved switch especially suitable for high ten 'sionwork. j v f Another object is to provide an improved arrangement of the supporting tower and the leads ,from the transmission cable to the switch.

Another object is toprovide a floating blade type of switch embodying the principle of actuation by a movable insulator.

Another object is to provide a movable insulator switch having no live linkage.

Another object is to provide a movable insulator switch having no'mechanical linkage except that necessary to' move the' insulator.

Another object' is to provide a movable insulator switch wherein the live parts of the switch have no linkage except a pivotal mounting for the movable insulator, and there is provided means including a linkwork for actuating the insulator. f Another object is to provide a movable insu-r lator switch having a flexible permanent connection for the, terminals carried by the movable insulator. r 7

Another object is to provide an air-break ,switch interrupting the circuit at one point only, in which the movable contact-making terminal is mounted rigidly on a movable insulator.

Another object is to provide for precise adjustment of the'contact elements of the switch after the installation is complete.

\ Further objects and advantages of the inven- 'tion will become apparent as the description projceeds, In the accompanying drawings,

,Fig; 1 is an end view; and V Fig. 2 isa side elevation of a tower forming part of a transmission system; i Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the movable insulator; Fig.4 is aside elevation of the switch proper, I the inclined space board being turned horizontal for convenience in illustrating;

jFigi :5 is an enlarged members; and g g V p Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view showingja portion of the switch operating mechanism when jtheswitch is in the open position.

, In the embodiment of the" invention selected View of the switch contact for illustration, tower'lO is suitably mounted, as on concrete base 12, and carries lateral arms 14 supporting insulators 16 upon which the main transmission cables may be strung. The installation' illustrated is part of a three phase system, and is accordingly provided with leads 18, 20 and 22, leading down from each of the three cables. Obviously, such leads can be associated with the main cables at their ends or at intermediate points" along their lengths. Lower arm structures 24 are mounted on tower 10 below arms 14 to carry longitudinal supports 26 supporting a plurality of spaced individual switch devices, one for each cable, at 28, 30 and 32 by means of the inclined base boards 34. The switchdevices are spaced from the tower far enough for most convenient connection to the central lead 20, and leads l8 and 22 curve out and in respectively to bring their ends into the same plane as lead 20, but spaced from its longitudinally as indicated in Fig. 2.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, each switching device comprises a base plate 34, suitablysup ported by portions of the structure 26. A pedestal 36 extending outward and downward from the outer and upper end of the base 34 carries a fixed insulator 38 by means of a suitable clamping attaohment 40. A similar, clamping device 42 at theother end of the insulator carries'a terminal casting 44 suitably connected to the end of one of the leads 18, 20 or 22. At its free end, arm 44 carries acontact finger 48, and spaced guiding vclips 50. While arm 44 is available for current carrying purposes, current is preferably carried by a conducting strip 52 extending from lug 46 to the projecting end 54 of the base of contact linger 48. a a

A bracket 56 at the other end of base 34 provides a depending journal 58 rotatably supporting the square actuating rod 60. Movable insulator 62is provided with fittings 64 for attach- ,ment to plate 66 carrying attaching lugs 68} are suitably fastened as by rivets 72. When the switch is in 'closed position, these blades lie between guiding clips 50, and straddle the fixed finger 48, being resiliently pressed into contact ticularly serviceable, it is desirable to provide adjustment means for moving the fixed finger 48 and the contact blades 71 into alignment, after the switch has been assembled in the field. We have illustrated tension bolts 73, two in number, passing through the guiding clips, the integral base of finger 48, then through an intermediate plate 75, and finally through plate 77 forming the supporting terminal of arm 44. Three set screws 79, provided with suitable locknuts, pass through plate 77 and abut plate 75. By slightly loosening tension bolts 73, set screws 79 can be manipulated to rock plate with respect to plate 77, and shift finger 48 into alignment with blades 71. The clamping bases 40 and 42 are provided with suitable adjustments.

In this construction, the current carrying strip 52 avoids the necessity of passing the main current through the adjustable connection between plates 75 and 77. 7

It should also be noted that the main lead 18 is connected to lug 46 at the base of arm 44, which arm is therefore notsubjected to the mechanical load of lead 18, the mechanical stresses in insulator 38 being correspondingly decreased by having lead 18 connected that much nearer pedestal 36.

Means also is provided for delivering current to, or conveying it away from blades 71, without passing it through any set of surfaces having sliding contact with each other as a result of the movement of the switch, or the like. A flexible conductor 80 has one end clamped to plate 86 by guiding and clamping plates 82, and its other end clamped to a fixed terminal 84 by similar guiding and clamping means, which in this instance are duplicates of plates 82. Plates 82 are preferably provided with curved projecting ends 86 to prevent sharp bending thereof at the point where it leaves the clamping surfaces. Terminal 84 may be part of any system of cables or conductors, for delivering power to or receiving power from leads 18, 20 and 22 and the main cables associated therewith. It has been illustrated as carried by another fixed insulator 87 supported on a base 88 on the same supporting structure as base 34.

A counterbalancing spring 90 normally urges .theswitch toward closed position thereby tending to lessen the work of closing the switch. It is fulcrumed at 92 against bracket 56, and centered by a shoe 94 forming part of bracket 56.

Contact blades 71 are preferably of the floating type. Referring to Figure 5, blades 71 are resiliently pressed toward each other by spring washers 74 mountedon studs 91 projecting from side plates 76, which side plates are bolted together by bolts 78 to put spring washers 74 under tension, without forcing the plate 76 intocontact with blades 71. Suitable spacing sleeves 89 are preferably employed to prevent blades71 from moving too far toward each other when the switch is in open position. Guiding clips 50 rub the outer faces of plates 76 after blades 71 have left finger 48.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, shaft 60 passes through all the individual switch devices, and

"' to bracket 56, but it is set off'center to position tor, a switch member carried thereby, asecond it as near as possible to the end of the shaft, and minimize bending stresses in the shaft due to the pull of pitman 98 connected to the end of the crank arm 100 on the shaft.

The mechanism 272, mounted on a concrete base 276, is arranged to be operated either manually or electrically to operate the pitman 98 to open or close the switch. While other suitable operating mechanism may be used, the mechanism here illustrated is of the kind shown in our co-pending application, Serial No. 615,214, filed January 27, 1923. The mechanism 272 is rotatable in one direction only and is provided with a link work for causing the upward or downward reciprocation of the pitman 98 upon the continuous rotation of the mechanism, for opening or closing the switch. A portion of the operating mechanism is shown in Figs. 2 and 6. The pitman 98 carries an eye 102 at its lower end receiving a pin 104 projecting from a crank arm.106 on the disk 108. The disk has a serrated face engaging the cooperating face of the serrated disk 110 on the low speed shaft 112 of the motor drive unit. By loosening thebolts holding the two serrated disks together, they may be rotated with respect to one another and secured together in any desired adjusted position. When. the switch is to be opened the pitman 98 is pulled downward, as is evident from Figure 1, and when the switch is to be moved to the closed position 105 the pitman is moved upward. Since the shaft 112 that actuates the pitman is rotatable in only one direction, as pointed out above, it is, evident that the disk 108 must be adjusted on the disk 110 so that the crank 106 and the pitman 98 reach their dead center position at the time that the switch reaches its full closed position upon closing of the switch, and its full open position upon opening of the switch. The eye 102 is readily interchangeable or connectible to any other operating mechanism so that the switch proper may be operated manually through ,any suitable mechanism.

In compliance with the requirements of the patent statutes, we have herein shown a preferred embodiment of our invention. We do not,'however, wish to be limited to the precise construction shown, the same being merely illustrative of the invention. I

What we consider new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:- V.

1. In a switch, in combination, flexible blades,

a finger cooperating with said blades, said finger having a base, a support for said base, screw. means for moving said base on said support for, precise adjustment of the position of the base on said support, and current carrying means con.- nected to said base independently of said support.

2. In a switch, in combination, a contact finger, floating blades cooperating therewith, plates outside said floating blades for resiliently pressing them against said finger, and arcing horns making contact with the outer surfaces of said plates.

3. In a high voltage switch, a swinging insula-.

insulator, a cooperating switch member carried by the second insulator and including a mounting base, and a micrometer adjustment for adjusting the angle of the plane of the mounting base.

with respect to the second insulator to accurately align the two switch members.

.4. In an electric switch, two floating switch blades, a contact mounted for engagement by the blades, means carried adjacent the contacting end of the blades for urging the blades toward one another into firm engagement with the contact, and conducting guiding means in conductive relation with the contact and contacting with said first means for guiding the switch blades into engagement with the contact and constituting arcing horns upon opening of the switch.

5. In an electric switch, two floating switch blades, a contact mounted for engagement by the blades, means carried by the blades on the outside thereof adjacent the contacting ends for urging the blades toward one another into firm engagement with the contact, conducting guiding means in conductive relation with the contact and contacting with said first means for guiding the switch blades into engagement with the concontact with the outer surfaces of said plates,

and means for adjusting the contact finger and the arcing horns as a unit with respect to the floating blades to accurately align them therewith.

CHRISTEN CHRISTENSEN. ALWIN G. STEINMAYER. 

